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Child Development Resources seeks Poquoson support for Family Resource Center renovation
Summary
Child Development Resources (CDR) briefed council on its programs for infants and toddlers, early intervention and mental health services, and requested municipal funding toward a Family Resource Center renovation that would consolidate services and expand mental-health and early-intervention capacity.
Representatives from Child Development Resources (CDR) described their statewide nonprofit services for infants, toddlers and families, explained local activity serving Poquoson children, and asked the city to consider a contribution toward renovating a larger Family Resource Center.
Paul Scott, CDR executive director, said CDR provides developmental screening, Early Head Start, play therapy and mental-health interventions for young children, and home-based early-intervention services that currently reach 18 children in Poquoson through the Infant–Toddler program. Scott described programs that support breastfeeding, infant massage, parenting education, and the HEART mental-health program aimed at disruptive behaviors in very young children.
CDR said it has identified a 31,000 square-foot building (former Triangle Community Services building) that it proposes to renovate and to expand with a front addition to serve as a consolidated Family Resource Center and hub for early-childhood services. Scott and Judd Crifield, CDR’s director of development, presented renderings and said the renovation would bring together programs now spread across multiple sites, provide a larger community meeting space and increase the nonprofit’s mental-health and early-intervention capacity.
CDR representatives said the renovation would yield both short- and long-term community savings by increasing early-intervention capacity; they cited a commonly used estimate that early-intervention investments can yield roughly an $8 return for every $1 spent because of avoided later costs (special education, child welfare, lost productivity). Scott said CDR also has an MOU with the Medical College of Virginia pediatric department to improve access and coordination for families.
As part of fundraising for the capital project, CDR said it has asked local governments for support and listed preliminary requests: Poquoson — $100,000; City of Williamsburg — $250,000; James City County and York County — $500,000 each. Scott said affiliates and foundations would also be asked to contribute and that a family-resource-center network may provide affiliate funding to expand mental-health services.
Why it matters: early childhood services and coordinated family supports can affect school readiness and child welfare outcomes; a centrally located Family Resource Center could expand locally available services for Poquoson families, the nonprofit said.
Council members thanked CDR for the presentation and said staff would discuss follow-up steps including how to present any funding request within the city’s budget process.
